This corn pie casserole from Trinidad is a traditional Caribbean dish that combines sweet and spicy flavors. It’s a favorite at family dinners and on holidays!
I’m a huge fan of corn and will pretty much try any recipe that contains it or leads with the actual word! So a few years ago, on a vacation in the Caribbean, I knew I had to try the corn pie casserole that was on the menu.
I’m not sure what I was expecting, but it definitely wasn’t this! The side dish I ordered was bursting with flavor and had the best texture.
As soon as I got home, I started looking for Trinidad Corn Pie recipes and tried one after the other. After a few years of taking something from this recipe and something from that, I ended up with a combination of ingredients that was perfect for me.
Corn Pie Casserole is the perfect blend of sweet corn with a little bit of heat from the peppers. It’s a great side dish or you can even use it as a vegetarian dinner option. It’s that filling!
How to Make Trinidad Corn Pie
It’s going to seem like there are a lot of steps, but I promise you that they’re easy and worth it. So worth it!
Ingredients for Corn Pie Casserole:
- 1 (15 oz) can of whole kernel corn
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup cornmeal
- 1/4 cup butter
- 3/4 cup diced onions
- 1/2 cup chopped bell peppers
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 cup evaporated milk
- 1 cup cheddar cheese, grated and divided
- 2 tablespoons parsley
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- The first step to making corn pie is a little bit out of the ordinary. Open your can of corn, but instead of draining it down the sink, drain the can into a measuring cup. You’re going to use the liquid from the can of corn and then add enough water to it to equal one cup of liquid.
- In a small bowl, add that one cup of corn water, the egg and cornmeal. Mix it up really well and then set it aside.
- In a medium saucepan, add the butter, onions, peppers, salt and pepper. Saute for about 5 minutes or until the onions are translucent and the peppers are soft.
- Then add the evaporated milk and bring it to a boil. As soon as it reaches a boil, add the cornmeal mixture and reduce it to low. Cook for about 5 minutes but make sure you’re stirring it often. If you don’t stir it, it will burn quickly.
- Add the corn and continue cooking for another 5 minutes till it starts pulling away from the sides of the pan.
- Then remove from the heat and stir in half the cheddar cheese, the parsley and the sugar.
- Mix it well and then spread it in an 8″x8″ baking dish. Sprinkle it with the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese.
- Then bake it at 350 degrees for about 30-40 minutes. It will be nice and golden on the top and the center will be set. After you remove it from the oven, let it sit for another 20-30 minutes before you cut it. If you cut it too soon, it won’t be set and will be more pudding like instead of like a casserole.
Other Side Dishes You Might Like:
- Sweet Potato Biscuits
- Creamy Cucumber Salad
- Ramen Noodle Cabbage Salad
- Italian Herbs and Cheese Bread
- Mushroom and Onion Crumble
- Caprese Salad with Bacon
Corn Pie Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 15 oz can Whole Kernel Corn
- 1 Egg
- 1/2 cup Cornmeal
- 1/4 cup Butter
- 3/4 cup Onions diced
- 1/2 cup Bell Peppers chopped
- 1 tsp. Salt
- 1/2 tsp. Pepper
- 1 cup Evaporated Milk
- 1 cup Cheddar Cheese grated, divided
- 2 Tbsp. Parsley
- 2 Tbsp. Sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8"x 8" casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
- Open the can of corn and drain the liquid into a one cup measuring cup. Add enough water to the corn liquid to equal one cup.
- In a small bowl, add the 1 cup corn water, egg and cornmeal. Mix well and then set aside.
- In a medium sauce pan, add butter, diced onions, chopped bell peppers, salt and pepper. Saute for about 5 minutes until the onions are translucent and the peppers are soft.
- Add the evaporated milk and bring to a boil.
- Quickly add the cornmeal mixture and reduce heat to low. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring often so it doesn't burn.
- Add the reserved corn and continue cooking and stirring for another 5 minutes until it starts to pull away from the sides of the pan.
- Remove from heat and stir in 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, parsley and sugar. Mix well.
- Spread in the prepared pan and sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup cheddar cheese.
- Bake for 30-40 minutes until it's golden brown on top and the center is set. Let sit for about 20-30 minutes before cutting it.
Nutrition
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